PETA Calls For Dismissal of Teacher Who Harassed Middle School Student

Student Will Receive Award From PETA for Exercising Her Right to Choose Not to Dissect 

For Immediate Release:
February 22, 2011  

Contact:
Robbyn Brooks 757-622-7382 

Naples, Fla. — PETA has sent a letter to the superintendent of Collier County Public Schools calling for an investigation into an incident in which Mary Ellen Alexander, a North Naples Middle School (NNMS) teacher, reportedly tormented and mocked a student who chose to opt out of dissecting a frog in her seventh-grade class. PETA is urging Superintendent Dennis Thompson to take appropriate disciplinary against the faculty and administrators involved in the incident and to end animal dissection at NNMS.

In a meeting with NNMS Principal Margaret Jackson and the student's parent, Ms. Alexander apparently admitted to tormenting the student by thrusting a bag of dead frogs in her face, leaving it on her desk, and laughing at her as she cried in distress. But even though this cruel prank appears to violate the School Board of Collier County's policies against bullying and harassment and the state board of education's code of ethics, Principal Jackson reportedly told the parent that she will not be taking any disciplinary action against Alexander, who also allegedly told students in other classes that, if they attempted to opt out of dissections, they would be sent to the principal's office to be disciplined—which is likely a direct violation of Florida law.

"Not only is harassing students for exercising their right not to dissect insensitive and immature, it also violates bullying policies and the spirit of Florida's dissection choice law," says PETA Vice President Kathy Guillermo. "If NNMS switches to superior, non-animal teaching methods, the school will save hundreds of animals' lives and provide a more inclusive learning environment, avoiding terrible situations like this in the future."

For bravely standing up to her teacher, the student will receive PETA's Compassionate Action Award. The millions of animals who are used in school dissections suffer tremendously as they are transported, confined, and cruelly killed in order to be sold to schools for dissection. PETA has offered to donate modern, humane teaching methods such as interactive computer programs to NNMS if the school pledges to end animal dissection.

For more information, please visit PETA's website CutOutDissection.com.